Research Interests: Study of cochlear implant outcomes in older adults and the development of rehabilitation strategies that produce the best results.; Studying and improving functional and quality of life outcomes in patients with acoustic neuromas, and other skull base tumors; Identifying and evaluating new and improved approaches to the training of surgical skills.; Study of cochlear disease mechanisms and their effects on the hearing experience, with the goal of developing new therapies for acquired deafness; Identifying determinants of language and educational benefits of cochlear implants in children, with the goal of optimizing outcomes ...read more

Background

Dr. Howard Francis has special expertise and research interests in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the ear and skull base. Dr. Howard is the director of the cochlear implant team of the Johns Hopkins Listening Center and vice director of the department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery with a focus on education and faculty development. Dr. Francis completed his undergraduate education at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and his medical degree at the Harvard Medical School in the Harvard-MIT division of Health, Science and Technology. He completed his residency training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and fellowship training in Neurotology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Dr. Francis is an internationally recognized ear and skull base surgeon committed to advancing these fields through clinical innovation, research and education. Since joining the faculty in 1997, Dr. Francis and his colleagues have made significant contributions to the understanding of functional and quality-of-life outcomes following cochlear implantation and acoustic neuroma surgery. These and on-going research efforts are central to his philosophy of multi-disciplinary and evidence-based patient care. This philosophy has evolved over many years of leadership at Johns Hopkins and in national organizations.